The Champions League is the most prestigious club competition in European football. The champions (and, for some nations, runners-up) of the largest domestic leagues qualify to play in the tournament’s group stage, where they are matched up with teams from other national leagues using a randomized draw. Teams earn three points for a win, one point for a tie, and zero points for a loss.
From the start of the 2024-25 season, UEFA has adopted a new format for Champions League. The top eight clubs in the group stage advance to the knockout phase, while the bottom twelve are eliminated from the competition. The ninth through twenty-fourth ranked clubs compete in a playoff round to fill the final eight slots in the knockout phase.
Since the first incarnation of the competition in 1949-50, clubs from seven different countries have won the title. Spain leads all nations with twenty-five titles, followed by England, Germany, and Italy with thirteen each. Clubs from Belgium, the Netherlands, and France have won five championships each, while Sweden, Russia, and Greece have won four.
In the current betting markets, PSG is favored to win the Champions League this year. Their odds are high because they were the best team in the world last year, and their squad is aging well. Their main question mark is Ousmane Dembele’s health, but if he returns for the knockout phase, they are poised to dominate this competition. They are an elite attacking team, and their defense is surprisingly good.